Information for international doctoral students

You count as a (prospective) international PhD student if you are either

a graduate from a foreign university or
a graduate from a German university, but have a nationality other than German and obtained your university entrance qualification in a different country

If one of the above applies to you, you can take a regular doctorate at the University of Wuppertal (for further information see the section Taking your doctorate at UW).

Bi-national doctorates (Cotutelle)

In addition to regular doctorates within the German university system, the University of Wuppertal offers bi-national facilities with certain partner universities abroad. In accordance with the so-called Cotutelle procedure, and in line with the respective doctoral degree regulations, the thesis and defense are jointly examined and assessed and the doctorate jointly awarded by two universities in two different countries. The doctorate is then fully and immediately valid in both systems. Details are regulated individually between UW and the partner university. Bi-national doctorate procedure is recommended for students

who want to keep close academic links with both countries
who do not yet know in which country they will later work
who aim to work in a bi-national field
whose research focus is closely linked with the other country.

Your contact partner in Wuppertal: the Center for Graduate Studies (CGS) – The Center for Graduate Studies (CGS) is a central organizational unit of the University of Wuppertal (UW). It serves as a contact point for students interested in pursuing a doctorate, and supports the research activities of UW doctoral students.

The following pages inform you about UW's facilities for international doctoral students.

obtaining your doctorate at UW
contacts, sources of finance, application procedures, German language requirements and courses, further addresses for information at UW.

Information on Wuppertal city and region can be found here.

And here is some general information on obtaining a doctorate in Germany.

Information for international doctoral students

Overview